Should you use salicylic acid and retinol

By Jessica MigalaMedically Reviewed by Ross Radusky, MD

Reviewed: January 22, 2020

Let’s lay out a couple of scenarios: One, you walk into a Sephora or Ulta and buy a new product, excited to add it to your routine based on the promises on the bottle. Two, you see someone on Instagram talking about how a certain product totally changed their skin, and you order it. These products may be good on their own, but do they fit into the routine you have now? Or could they work against you?

“Some ingredients don’t play nice with each other,” says Brooke Sikora, MD, a dermatologist in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The ingredients that shouldn’t be layered are those that are difficult to keep stable in a formula, increase the risk of irritation together, or cancel each other out when combined, she says.

With a little know-how you can streamline your routine to make sure all the components are working for you and getting you closer to your good-skin goals. Here are scenarios where extra caution is in order:

1. Retinoid or Retinol and Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Both vitamin A derivatives, like retinol and retinoids, and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), like glycolic acid, are a dermatologist’s go-to for anti-aging because they speed skin cell turnover and increase collagen production for glowy, fine line–free skin. In this case, though, more is not better.

Because they both exfoliate the outer layer of skin, “they possess potentially irritating side effects, especially in combination,” says Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, MD, a double-board-certified dermatologist in Dallas. When skin is irritated (think: red, stingy, flaking, and peeling), you’re less likely to stick to the regimen. You don’t have to choose one or the other. She advises patients to use these topicals on alternate days (AHA on Monday, retinoid on Tuesday, and so on).

One exception? Products that have been specifically tested through clinical trials that combine retinoids and AHA, says Deirdre Hooper, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans. One such is AlphaRet by Skinbetter Science. A study published in December 2017 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that this combination retinoid cream performed as well as a prescription retinoid product in diminishing the signs of aging with fewer side effects like redness.

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2. Retinoid or Retinol and Benzoyl Peroxide

Retinoids are known for being anti-aging, but they’re also a powerful force in ridding acne, as they exfoliate skin to prevent plugged pores. As such, you may be tempted to use both a retinoid and a benzoyl peroxide.

Think twice before you do that. “Benzoyl peroxide may deactivate the retinoid molecule,” says Dr. Sikora. Meaning: Your good acne-fighting intentions are backfiring. Past research pointed out that newer formulations of the retinoid tretinoin stay stable with benzoyl peroxide. There is also a specially formulated product on the market, called Epiduo Forte, that combines both adapalene (a retinoid) and benzoyl peroxide safely and efficaciously, she says. Alternatively, consider using benzoyl peroxide in the morning and your retinol at night.

3. Retinoid or Retinol and Vitamin C

Here’s the theme: Use retinoids wisely. The third don’t-layer combo is retinoids and vitamin C. “Vitamin C is a tough ingredient to formulate with because it’s most effective in an acidic pH environment. Retinol works in a higher (more alkaline) pH. If using them together, they won’t work optimally,” says Sikora. The easy fix is to use both at the times they were intended. Retinol is best applied at night (it makes skin more photosensitive, increasing risk of sun damage), and vitamin C functions best in the daytime, as it’s an antioxidant that protects against the assaults of the day, like the skin-damaging effects of pollution and UV rays, she says.

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4. Retinoid or Retinol and Salicylic Acid

It’s entirely common to have mature skin that’s saddled with acne, too. In the effort to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, you’ve probably been told to use a retinoid. To fight the good fight against acne, you may also use salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that increases skin cell turnover, to keep pores clear. But on its own, each can dry out the skin, so together they should be combined with caution.

The risk is overdrying, which can lead to irritation and make the situation worse. “To compensate for being overly dry, skin will ramp up oil production, which can create a vicious cycle of dryness and acne,” says Sikora. The fix: Use salicylic in the morning and your retinoid at night.

5. Soap-Based Cleanser and Vitamin C

Vitamin C is designed as a morning product. But what you cleanse with beforehand matters, too. As mentioned earlier, vitamin C is best when formulated with a low pH, though, Leslie Baumann, MD, writes in MDedge Dermatology that using a soap-based cleanser, which has a high pH, will ultimately decrease skin’s ability to absorb vitamin C.

And that’s a problem. Not only are you missing out on protection from free radicals, which a review published in July 2017 in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found ages skin, but well-formulated vitamin C products (like Skinceuticals C E Ferulic) are expensive. Get your skin’s and your money’s worth by washing with a salicylic- or glycolic-based cleanser in the morning before slathering on C, she recommends.

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6. Two Products With the Same Actives

Turn those bottles around: There’s little reason to use multiple forms of the same drug, says Dr. Hooper. One example is using two benzoyl peroxide acne products. Another example is applying a glycolic acid mask and then finishing with a cream containing mandelic acid, as both are AHAs.

“My concern with doubling up on the same active is irritation,” she says. Increased irritation is a sign that the skin barrier is disrupted, which only boosts the likelihood of suffering side effects from active ingredients.

That said, there is an exception: if you do this without incident — as in, your skin does not get red and stingy after using two AHA-containing products — and you’re getting the results you’re looking for, then you have her blessing to continue. For most people, though, this is going to be too harsh.

Bottom line: If you’re experiencing side effects (redness, burning, flaking) or not getting the results you want, there may be something wrong in how you’re layering your topicals. Talk to your dermatologist, who can help you build a regimen that works — and makes your skin feel great, too.

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